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 In
the Name of Allah, Most
Gracious, Most Merciful
Worth and Recompense in Fasting
It is related by Abu Hurairah (RA) that the Apostle of Allah (sallallahu
alaiyhi wassallam) said: "The reward on every virtuous deed is
increased from ten to seven hundred times (i.e., the general
principle of Divine recompense on all the good deeds of the
Muslims is that on every good deed of theirs the reward will,
at least, be ten times as compared to the earlier communities,
and sometimes even more, so much so that some chosen bondsmen
will receive seven hundred times of reward on their virtuous
acts), but the standing command of Allah (about Fasting) is
that the fast is an exception. It is a special gift of the
bondsman for Me and I shall reward him directly for it (as I
please). The bondsman forgoes food and drink solely for My
sake. (I shall therefore, recompense him for the sacrifice
according to My pleasure)."
"There are two moments of special joy for the man who fasts.
One is when he breaks the fast, and this he experiences in his
earthly existence, and the other will be in the Hereafter when
he will be presented before the Lord; and I swear that the bad
odour emanating from the mouth of a person who is fasting
(which is generally due to an empty stomach) is more pleasant
in the judgement of Allah then the sweet smell of musk; and
fast is a shield (for protection, in this world, against the
assaults of the shaytaan, and in the Hereafter, against the
fire of Hell; and when anyone of you keeps a fast, he must not
utter a filthy or indecent word nor engage in a noisy scene,
and were anyone to quarrel with him and call him names he
should simply say, ‘I am keeping a fast.’"
Commentary: The exhortation at the end of the
tradition about abstaining from falsehood and backbiting and
wrangling and uttering a foul or profane word makes it clear
that the exclusive blessings of fasting are only for those who,
in addition to shunning food and drink and staying away from
sexual gratification, avoid all evil and undesirable things. In
another tradition, it is stated that God has no need for him to
go hungry and thirsty (fasts), but does not refrain from evil
doing.
FROM Meaning and Message of the Traditions
BY SHAYKH Mohammad Manzoor Nomani (RA).
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